It might only be the opening match of pre-season, but Manchester United fans could be excused for getting a little carried away after their first win under Erik ten Hag.
There is obvious mitigation to their 4-0 win over Liverpool, of course. Not only was it a friendly fixture, but they were one week ahead of Jurgen Klopp's side in their pre-season preparation and were playing a heavily-changed team that was focused on fitness rather than performance.
Then there was the actual display. United rode their luck at times as Liverpool wasted an abundance of opportunities and Ten Hag's side were helped enormously by charitable defending that gifted United most of theirs.
READ MORE: Tuanzebe leaves pre-season tour
But there were certainly positives to take from the way United ruthlessly took their chances and the overall tactical style that they implemented with high-pressing and energetic movement for much of the match.
And a key reason why United were so good in the first half was because of their cohesiveness as a team, particularly because Ten Hag named the strongest side available to him, effectively establishing the pecking order ahead of the first season.
The playing hierarchy will have a couple of changes to it depending on new arrivals in the summer window and the planned return of Cristiano Ronaldo, but other than that, it seems like Ten Hag has a vision in mind for how his squad is shaping up.
It was telling that Diogo Dalot was picked ahead of Aaron Wan-Bissaka at right-back and Victor Lindelof the third-choice centre-back ahead of Eric Bailly from the start. The indication is that Harry Maguire and Raphael Varane will be the first-choice selections next season, with Ten Hag still hoping to bolster his backup options with the addition of Lisandro Martinez.
In midfield, Fred and Scott McTominay were trusted with forming the midfield axis, and it is understood that rather than signing a specialist defensive midfielder this summer, Ten Hag might opt to address the area of weakness with a tactical change and an intense focus on retaining possession.
The planned arrival of Frenkie de Jong should see him replace one of the duo in the axis, with McTominay the most likely to drop out, though the fixture schedule is so packed that there might be little chance for an established midfield pairing to be formed.
In attack, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho currently appear to be the preferred wide options, with Anthony Martial the recognised backup striker amid continued uncertainty over Ronaldo's future.
United are still hoping to add another versatile forward to their forward line this summer, but they might not be guaranteed starts given the amount of competition on the left flank and Sancho's promising start on the right.
READ NEXT:
